


Story of Seasons: Feather Valley

by Yobotica



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Moderns dropped into the Story of Seasons game y'all, Pining, This is probably the cutest thing I've ever written, some adjustments to festivals/holidays have been made, the teeniest bit of angst, the world is simple and everything is good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26290720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yobotica/pseuds/Yobotica
Summary: Shaun's life in Feather Valley is about to get more interesting when a handsome new farmer moves in to the empty farm just outside of town.A love story told through the seasons.
Relationships: Shaun Hastings/Desmond Miles
Comments: 11
Kudos: 36





	Story of Seasons: Feather Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for one of the prompts I'd seen for AU-gust: Farming AU. I do love the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series, and the newest one really inspired me to write this. 
> 
> Hopefully, this shouldn't require any familiarity with the games!

Shaun cursed as he heard the door to the little library jingle, signalling someone had come in. He'd been on hold for half an hour waiting to connect to the financial department of Netcorp, with the awful, tinny hold music on a mere 30 second loop, and he hadn't hung up because this was the closest he'd come to actually getting answers in his quest to get the tiny town of Feather Valley internet service, and stepping away from the phone was a problem.

He picked up the ancient, wireless handset and wandered out of his little office towards the front. It was a bit early for lunch, so if Rebecca was bothering him now, it was either extremely serious or she was just extra bored, and he wasn't sure which option he hoped for least.

"What is it _now?_ " he asked as he entered the main room of the library, only he stopped short when he saw it wasn't Rebecca at all, but a handsome man in denim overalls he'd never seen before. The man looked like he was still adjusting to the light of the library - dim compared to the bright winter sun outdoors - and Shaun took a moment to look, because, well. He didn't often get handsome men in the library, and never any new ones.

When the man spotted him, he grinned, and _oh_. Oh no, he looked even better when he smiled. "Is that how you greet all new patrons?" he asked, and Shaun cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Apologies," he said, and frowned a little when the man's eyebrows rose at his voice. Or rather, his accent. He knew he sounded out of place for this tiny little town in the middle of nowhere, but who was this man to judge? "I thought you were someone else." He took a second to place the handset near his ear - the hold music was still playing, so he set it back against his shoulder. "How can I help you?"

The man smiled at him, and glanced around. The library was small, and dated, and Shaun was still in the process of trying to catalogue everything; his months-long struggle with Netcorp wasn't exactly helping him in his quest to update the library and the town with at least the very basics of modern conveniences. The man's eyes flicked over the decorative rocks and stones placed here and there, small pieces from Shaun's own personal collection that he'd put out because he thought it made the library seem more interesting.

"I'm actually looking for information on crops," he said, after a moment. "Specifically spring season crops, preferably also aimed at beginning farmers."

Shaun felt his own brows rise, and suddenly the overalls made sense. There was still snow on the ground, so it was a bit early to break ground for most farmers; Shaun knew most of the farmers in the surrounding area - most of whom frequented the larger towns a little further away rather than the admittedly small town that was Feather Valley - and this man certainly didn't seem to be related to any of them, nor would they hire any farmhands this early in the year (or this green). There was the run-down farm just out of town that had been owned by Joseph Miles, but the man had passed away just last year and Shaun hadn't heard anything about it being bought by any one new just yet. He hadn't even heard it had been put on the market, in fact. 

"We do have those, but... Why are you asking? Are you researching local flora for some reason?"

The man laughed a little, and looked a little embarrassed, but his grin didn't falter. "Ah, no, actually, I just moved to my grandfather's farm and I'd like to try and get it running again."

Shaun’s face fell; this man really seemed like a nice person, but there was no way the land could produce anything without a lot of work - work that was far beyond what a novice farmer could achieve on his own, at that. Joseph had owned a pretty large parcel of land, and had slowly let it get overgrown as he'd aged and couldn't keep up with all of it. Some parts of the land were so thick, or damaged by storms, that it would take heavy machinery to clear - or months of physical labor.

"Look, mate, I hate to tell it to you, but that farm's a bad deal. It won't break even without years of work, much less turn a profit."

He tried to make his tone as gentle as possible, but evidently he'd failed by how stormy the man's expression became. "Are you going to help me or not?" He asked, and Shaun raised his free hand.

"I'll help," he said. "I just... you seem like a nice fellow, I just wanted to warn you in case you were sold a false bill of goods."

The man lost most of his frown, and nodded. "Alright, well, thanks, but I'm going to try anyway. I've already cleared at least a little bit of land and wanted to get started on learning what I should plant and how to care for the crops."

Shaun cleared his throat. "Alright, then. Farming information is in this bookshelf," he said, leading Desmond to the section on farming. He occasionally had to do research for the farmers in the surrounding area, and sometimes even had to give answers over the phone to someone who couldn't or wouldn't travel, so this was a section he visited often.

"Here, in particular, try these two," he said, pulling out a general primer for plant care and another that covered the best crops to plant in spring. "You've got a bit of time before you can put things in the ground yet, so I'd pay attention to the types of plants that will do well planted early. I'm assuming you're looking to sell your crops?" He asked. He didn't think they'd grow well enough to sell, but he certainly wouldn’t say anything to that effect at this point. It was his job to help, so he’d just do what he could.

The man took the books from him and nodded. "That's the idea," he said with a little more of his previous humor, and Shaun nodded.

"Well, that second book will give a rough approximation of yields you can expect and their value, but if you'd like actual market value for what you're looking to grow, let me know and I can make some calls," he said. At the reminder, he checked his phone - still on hold.

The man smiled widely at that. "Thanks!" he said. "Hey, I'm Desmond," he added, holding out his hand, and Shaun offered a smile in return.

"Shaun," he said, and held out his own. Desmond had a firm shake with none of that alpha-male crap, and Shaun felt his smile get a little wider on its own. For a moment, they just stared at each other, then Desmond let go of his hand and hefted the books in his other.

"I'll just go sit down and take some notes," he said, and pulled a little notebook and pencil from his pocket.

Shaun nodded. "Sure, let me know if you need anything," he said, and moved to the little work desk he kept in the front when he had patrons in the building.

Desmond was only there for another twenty minutes before nodding and re-shelving the books himself before he waved at Shaun, who had started taking notes on his own regarding new editions he'd like to order if he got the chance and checking the phone occasionally and trying not to growl every time he heard that stupid music.

He waved back and checked the phone again, and cursed. The line was dead. Again.

Well, even the librarian of a small town had other things to do, so he decided a followup call could wait for another day.

~

Desmond came back the next two afternoons, sitting and taking notes each time. Shaun had reminded him that this was a library and the books could be checked out, but Desmond insisted that he'd prefer not to take the risk of losing the books, or damaging them, or getting them dirty or some nebulous ‘something’.

Which, well, that was considerate, but Shaun could always order replacements. True, they would take some time to arrive and would have to be budgeted for, but those were simply the functions of a library. On the other hand, though, Desmond turned out to be a pretty interesting guy to talk to. He asked Shaun questions, and it seemed no question was too simple for him to ask.

Shaun knew plenty of men who had trouble with asking questions, thinking it made them seem stupid or something, and aside from getting on his nerves, it almost always led to issues down the line. It was kind of refreshing that Desmond didn't hesitate to ask basic questions to make sure he understood everything he could.

To all appearances, he was taking this farming gig seriously. Shaun had half expected his enthusiasm to flag, but it certainly didn't seem to after those first few days. Every time he entered the library in the late afternoons, he looked like he'd spent the day doing some physical work and was always ready to take notes and learn things.

And it wasn't like there were many other handsome men knocking down the library door. Shaun knew he could justify the extra assistance he gave to Desmond in many ways, but also knew that if he were being honest with himself, his interest in Desmond went a little beyond just helping a new face, even a pretty one.

He had lunch with his friends whenever he could, but Lucy and Rebecca had both been busy, apparently, and Clay was currently touring for livestock contracts and wouldn't be back until later in the month. A few days after Desmond first showed up, Shaun headed to the inn for lunch and for the first time in a while, both Rebecca and Lucy were seated at their usual table.

He waved to Oliver, who gave him a nod and disappeared into the kitchen to get started on Shaun's usual meal. Shaun dropped into one of the chairs at the table and Rebecca grinned at him.

"So, have you met the new guy?" she asked, and Shaun rolled his eyes.

"As a matter of fact, I have. He's made it a point to visit the library almost every afternoon this week," he said. Rebecca took a huge bite of her sandwich and waggled her eyebrows at him and Lucy laughed.

"He stopped by my store a few times, too," she said. "He's really serious about getting that farm up and running. I'd given him some starter seeds, but I don't know if he knows how much work he's in for - born in the city, you know," she said, dragging a fry through the pool of gravy on her plate. She and Rebecca had both grown up here, and never had a great opinion of 'city folk', it seemed. Shaun had apparently proven an exception to the rule, but it had taken a bit of time to get the easy friendship they had now, and the girls often teased him about his efforts to bring more of the modern world to the village. Clay, at least, was a bit more understanding, but he traveled a lot, and Shaun knew that had broadened his horizons in more than one way.

"I'd thought the same," he admitted, and thanked Oliver when his own lunch was set down in front of him. "I'd helped Joseph get the farm evaluated a little before he passed - and the state it was in dropped a lot of value from what that kind of acreage would normally get. Desmond came here by himself, you know? Even an experienced farmer would need a team and equipment to get it up and running, but he certainly seems unfazed."

Rebecca laughed. "Yeah, he brought his tools into the shop just last week - all hand tools, of course. I did what I could, but you know," she said, waving her hand before taking another bite of her sandwich. "I haven't seen the place, but he brought them by again recently and let me tell you, the tools have seen _heavy_ use. Grandpa won't upgrade 'em without payment, but I told him if he could source some ore, I'd help out."

"That's disgusting," he said, referring to her talking with her mouth full. "Wait, you're gonna send him into the mine?" Shaun asked. The mine was owned by the village, technically, but Feather Valley lacked the funds to get it into regular operation again. Desmond, as the owner of the Miles farm which fell under Town jurisdiction, could in fact work the mine if he wished, but it wasn't the safest thing to be doing all alone for a newbie.

Rebecca shrugged. "If he can get any profit from crops at all, well, he could buy ore. I don't have the funds to source ore or the time to mine myself, so it's all I could do," she said, and Shaun frowned. The mine wasn't all that dangerous in the upper levels, and a few of the villagers still ventured in for their own needs, but Desmond would need information to mine both safely and effectively. He had a few books he knew he could recommend off the top of his head...

Lucy slapped his arm and laughed. "I know that look. You're already thinking about books again," she teased and Shaun huffed. "Or is it the new farmer you're thinking about?"

"Well, forgive me for not wanting him to either waste his time or get hurt trying to _mine ore_ in our defunct mine," he said, and Rebecca waggled her eyebrows again.

Lucy sighed. "He is really good-looking," she gushed. "Really in shape, too."

"Oh, you can tell, can you?" Shaun asked, before taking a bite of his sandwich.

She laughed. "Like you can't," she said, with a brow raised and he would have sighed were his mouth not already full. She wasn't wrong, though. Desmond _was_ really fit.

"Your silence is incriminating," Rebecca sing-songed at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Forgive me for not eating with my mouth open like some kind of savage," he replied, but took another bite before he could be pressed any further. Rebecca just smirked at him, but soon enough the two turned to chatting about one of Lucy's regulars and why Rebecca never gets awkwardly hit on by customers. (" It's the hammer," she said, but Shaun also knew Rebecca had no qualms being upfront bordering on rude when someone crossed her lines.)

Before long he was back in the library, and although he had no idea if Desmond was going to come in today, he pulled a few books on mining from the shelves anyway, including the last mine safety report, and the accompanying map. It was a few years old, but it was more than Desmond would have otherwise.

While Desmond hadn't shown up that day, he did come in the next, and seemed surprised at Shaun's recommendation. "I had lunch with Rebecca, and she told me she'd suggested you check out the mine," he said, trying not to sound defensive, and couldn't tell if he'd succeeded based on Desmond's confused, but maybe happy expression he'd gained when he saw the small pile Shaun offered.

"You know Rebecca?" he asked, and Shaun leapt at that.

"She's one of my best friends, actually. The first I made after moving here - actually, she was really aggressive about it," he said, but couldn't help the fond smile as he remembered. "She's mad like that. Anyway, she mentioned that your best source of ore was the mine so I figured, well..." he shrugged, because he didn't really have to say it, did he?

Desmond's expression softened a lot, and he looked from the books to Shaun a few times, a smile growing slowly on his face. "I appreciate it. I took a look yesterday, actually, just to check it out. I didn't go far in, mostly wanted to assess how safe it seemed. This will really help," he said, and Shaun forced himself to look away.

"Well, I couldn't very well let you go traipsing about without at least offering some information that might help. You didn’t know anything about farming before coming here, after all. It’d be dangerous to assume you knew what to do in the mine," he said, and then sighed because his defensiveness and snappish tone was one of his worst traits and so far, few people had developed a tolerance.

Desmond laughed, though, and Shaun relaxed a little. "You're not wrong. I thought about asking about it, anyway, but you've already given me more than I thought to ask for," he said, and he sounded so genuinely pleased that Shaun honestly felt like an arse all over again.

"Well," he said, after a beat too long, "it's my job." Which was the truth, sure, but no one had to know his concern was a little more personal this time. He certainly didn't set aside books in advance on his own initiative for anyone else.

"Still, thanks," Desmond said, and wandered to his usual spot to take notes. Shaun settled back at his own desk, and if his eyes wandered over to Desmond's form every now and again, well, Desmond certainly didn't seem to notice and no one else was around to call him on it.

~

Desmond became a regular visitor to the library - far more so than any other patron Shaun had. Desmond still took notes on occasion, but more often he spent his time just talking to Shaun instead. He still refused to take any books with him, citing a concern for their safety and cleanliness, and Shaun eventually stopped pushing because it wasn't like he actually wanted Desmond to come in less often.

In fact, Shaun started to look forward to his visits. He asked Desmond once about why he moved here after having lived in a city his whole life, and Desmond got unusually somber for a moment. Shaun almost apologized for asking, but Desmond let out a sigh.

"I didn't know my grandfather well, you know. I came here a few summers when my dad was busy, I guess, but... I was a kid. I hardly spent time with him - I spent time running around the river or even in the mine a few times," he said, and a nostalgic smile stole across his face at that. "He was, he was always really kind. He was busy, I know I saw him working, but he also always made time for me, you know?"

Shaun smiled. "He was like that with everyone, it seems. You must take after him," he offered and Desmond looked almost startled at that before offering Shaun a shy smile that Shaun wanted to tuck away and keep safe. It was an unfamiliar sensation and Shaun wasn't sure he welcomed it and how unbalanced it made him feel.

"My last summer here was so long ago. My dad got me a summer job one year and after that, I kept doing that instead, and... well. I never thought he'd offer me the farm in his will, and I can't say exactly why I decided to move here without even looking at it first, but... I'm glad I did." He was looking out one of the windows when he said it, and Shaun felt himself smile a little at that.

"Me too," he offered, and got the same small smile again, but with Desmond just looking at him like that, Shaun changed the subject instead of examining the expression any further.

But he hadn't lied when he said Desmond took after his grandfather. He occasionally ran into Desmond in town, running errands or visiting friends, and Desmond always had a moment to chat. He'd seen Desmond give his time to anyone who needed a moment, and Desmond almost always had a smile or a wave for people he passed, as well.

Desmond had even joined him on a couple of the breaks Shaun occasionally took in the park. He always brought a book and an apple, and read in the sunshine. The bench he chose was always within sight of the library so he'd see if anyone needed him, but he rarely had to cut his breaks short.

For some reason, when Desmond joined him on these breaks, he spent longer than he intended outside, arguing with Desmond about books or movies. Desmond never seemed in a rush to get anywhere, either, and Shaun wondered occasionally how much work Desmond was really doing out there on his farm.

Spring seemed to pass quicker than it ever had before. Desmond mentioned he'd be entering the Spring Harvest Festival, and asked if Shaun would be there to cheer him on. Shaun couldn't see a reason to say no, and for once, he didn't even want to. Rebecca would be an awful shit about it, since Shaun rarely attended the actual crop competitions that made up the first half of the harvest festivals, and she'd be unbearable if she knew he came because Desmond asked him, but at the same time, the grin Desmond gave him when Shaun agreed made it seem worth it.

The harvest festivals were an all-day affair with the crop competition in the morning and the harvest meal in the evening, and although the library was officially closed all day for the holiday, Shaun usually spent the mornings there anyway. But this year, he locked the door and hung the 'closed' sign at a quarter till ten and headed to the town square, where competition was held.

Desmond was already there, and when he spotted Shaun, he waved eagerly and jogged to meet him. He'd already handed in his produce, so he was free to browse the stands for drinks and trinkets that lined the town plaza where the festival took place before the judging took place. He invited Shaun to join him, and after they'd purchased juice and breakfast wraps, Clay joined them.

By the way they greeted each other, Shaun realized Clay and Desmond had met already, and had apparently struck up a friendship of their own. Something in Shaun was warmed by this, by Desmond putting down roots and making friends with Shaun's friends. Lots of folks stopped them to chat, and Rebecca and Lucy joined them a little later in the morning. It wasn't until the contestants were called to the staging area that Shaun realized how time had flown, how easily Desmond fit into their group.

For the first time, Shaun was near the front of the crowd, able to see the tables lined with the produce made by local farmers. Desmond found his place by his own produce, a bin full of potatoes, and Shaun was actually impressed. He'd honestly thought the farm had been too long neglected to produce anything of significant quality yet, Desmond's potatoes were of a decent size and lacked any noticeable blemishes or defects that Shaun could see from his spot in the audience.

For the first time, Shaun himself was tense with anticipation for the results, and as more and more names were placed and the ranks crept higher and higher, Shaun almost held his breath for Desmond's name to be called.

Desmond came in fourth, and Shaun wasn't alone in the explosive cheer that came from the crowd at that. Not just Shaun, or Rebecca, or Lucy, or Clay, there were dozens of people in the crowd cheering wildly from Shaun, and most he recognized from the town itself. It was an amazing final result for Desmond, a first-time farmer, and when Desmond's name was called, Shaun couldn't help but notice Desmond looked straight to him first before seeking out his other friends in the crowd, a delighted grin on his face.

The result came with a modest reward of money and seeds, but Shaun knew that this had been more about Desmond's stubbornness and pride than anything else. Shaun hadn't actually seen the farm yet, but he couldn't help but be even more curious about how it looked now - Desmond had clearly made a lot of progress on it if he could do _this_.

Once the contestants had been given information on how to collect their prizes, Desmond rejoined them. The evening portion of the harvest festival included a dinner cooked by volunteers using the produce entered into the competition, as well as donated produce that wouldn’t meet submission requirements. There was usually enough for everyone to have not just one plate, but seconds if they wanted. Shaun almost always attended the meal portion of the festivals, half for the food and half for the company; he and his friends would usually take their plates out to the beach and spend the rest of the evening out there. They certainly weren't the only people with the idea, wanting the atmosphere and conversation but not the noise and heat of the festival grounds.

This year was no different. After a little more browsing with a lot of stops for the townsfolk to congratulate Desmond, they all loaded up their plates with the various offerings and walked down to the beach. Lucy rolled out the blanket and they all sat in a loose circle on the sand and asked Desmond how he felt about the results. He seemed a little surprised himself, but happy. It was a good look on him.

The evening was a good one; the cool breeze of the ocean, the laughter of his friends and the full moon rising off the water... Shaun couldn't remember the last time he had such a good time.

He couldn't wait to see what summer brought, but looking at his friends, especially the newest one he'd made, he had a feeling it could only bring good things.

~

Summer came quickly, like it always did in these parts. Desmond walked into the library just after the season started and said he wanted to look into keeping chickens. He thought he was ready for them, but wanted to read up to make sure.

Shaun knew that Clay would be more than happy to answer any questions Desmond may have had, but Desmond had come here with his notebook like always. While Shaun looked for the books on chickens, Desmond asked what Shaun thought about them. "Well, in my experience, they can be, ah, temperamental," he offered. "Tasty, though," he added, and Desmond made a face at that.

Shaun frowned a little in response. "Are you squeamish about that? You can sell them to the butcher, if you prefer not to handle... that sort of duty," he said.

Desmond kept the little frown. "I hadn't thought of that, actually," he admitted. "I mean, I do eat chicken, but..." He trailed off, and Shaun nodded.

"Ah, never been so close to the secret of the sausage," he said, and Desmond kind of grimaced at that. "I'm not judging," he added, and was gratified by how Desmond relaxed slightly at that. "It's a little different when you've raised them yourself, I'm sure. Well, you can certainly just keep them for their eggs. So long as you only get hens, you shouldn't have to worry about fertilized eggs."

Desmond nodded at that. "I think I'd prefer that," he said, and Shaun nodded.

"Well the good news is your grandfather had a great coop. I'm guessing you've already cleaned it out?" he asked, and Desmond nodded.

"It was actually in great shape, but I did have to fix the fence," he said.

"Good, that's a good start. You might consider getting the water mill working if you can get corn to grow on the farm so you can mill your own feed. Clay only sells the best, but this would save you money in the long run," he said.

Desmond followed him, though. "You seem to know a bit about them," he said, and while it wasn't phrased as a question, Shaun answered it anyway.

"Well, Clay's a good friend of mine, too," he said, then offered Desmond a small smile. "And, if I'm being honest, I do love animals, even chickens. From a distance, at least," he added, because he certainly liked how fluffy and soft chickens were, and their cute little sounds, but he wasn't sure he wanted any of his own. He'd helped Clay a few times before and had gotten a few scratches from some very 'temperamental' chickens.

Desmond chuckled at him. "Really?" he asked, and he didn't sound like he believed Shaun one bit.

"Well, perhaps some of that is by necessity," he admitted. "I haven't the space or time for animals of any kind, even pets," he said, and didn't bother to hide the genuine regret the fact brought him. Chickens were out, but it would be awfully nice to have a cat in the library.

Desmond didn't say anything and when Shaun glanced over at him, he seemed to have a distracted expression on his face, but a smile was still on his lips. Shaun found the book he was after, then poked Desmond in the arm with it, which seemed to shake him from his daze. "Anyways, here's a good primer. I know your grandfather read this one, because he'd left notes in one of the later sections, so make sure you pay attention," he said, mock stern and Desmond grinned.

"Yes, sir!" he replied.

Desmond took notes dutifully again, and glanced up. "Hey, do we have any kind of wild animals around here?" he asked, and Shaun had to stifle a laugh in response.

"Loads," he replied. "Foxes and wild dogs here and there, especially in spring and summer. Snakes are a concern as well, though most native to the area are non-venomous. It's true that you'll probably want to let chickens outside for at least a part of any sunny days, but I don't recall that Joseph’s coop yard had a fully wired enclosure," he murmured, mostly thinking out loud at that point, but Desmond made a noise of agreement anyway.

"I do know that most folks feel that chickens are best guarded by a dog, but a cat is an option as well," he said. And even though Desmond hadn't mentioned anything about larger livestock, Shaun continued, "If you work your way up to cows or horses, you may want a mousing cat anyway, to keep the barns rodent-free. Some cats will take care of snakes too," he said with a wistful sigh, and when the silence stretched between them, he glanced up to Desmond who was kind of staring at him for a moment before he gave an awkward cough.

"Thanks for the info," he said, though, and turned back to the book quickly.

Desmond actually let him know when he got his first chicken, a fluffy little white hen he'd named Henrietta because he couldn't resist the pun, and Shaun couldn't help but be charmed by his enthusiasm.

"I've planted some corn, though I wanted to plant it anyway since the books say it should provide multiple yields and should provide a good return on the investment in the seeds; I hope it'll take," he said. "I've also talked to Rebecca about the mill, and I'd already gathered enough ore to cast the metal parts, so I just need to source some wood and help getting it all put together," he said, and Shaun couldn't help but be impressed.

"That's incredible," he offered, because it really seemed Desmond had done a lot to turn the farm around already. Perhaps he should try to find an excuse to visit soon and see how much had changed since the last time he'd seen it.

It turned out he didn't have to wait long. Just a week later, Rebecca told him he'd be helping them get the mill back in service because the last part had been cast and Desmond had finally sourced the wood parts and had them delivered. Shaun protested that he wasn't going to be any kind of help, but Rebecca waved him away with a smirk he didn't trust. She'd planned it for the day the library would be closed anyway, so he didn't even have any excuses at all.

Even though he knew he wouldn't be much help, he still wore a t-shirt and jeans instead of his usual button up and slacks, because there was no use in getting his normal clothes extra dirty. And just looking at the farm, he couldn't believe how much Desmond had achieved in less than half a year. A full half of the field was cleared of the debris and rocks and weeds, and almost all of the cleared land was tilled, and tiny little shoots were peeking out of the dark, damp soil - it looked like Desmond truly had used every inch he could when planting.

The coop was pristine, the fencing for the yard fixed up with fresh wood painted white, and Henrietta was currently strutting around the yard and pecking at the ground. The house had even been fixed up a bit; the last time Shaun had seen it, the shutters and some roofing tiles had been damaged by a storm, but Joseph had passed away before he could do more than get estimates for the repairs. But there were new shutters on the windows, new tiles on the roof, and it had been given a fresh coat of paint. The chair on the porch was new, too.

The barn still looked run-down, though, and some of the boards would clearly need to be replaced, but the area around it had been cleared a bit, and Shaun could see piles of fresh lumber sitting next to it that Desmond must have gotten at the same time as the wood for the mill.

He heard Desmond shouting and turned to see Desmond waving at him from the mill, just behind the chicken coop. He made his way over, but Desmond met him halfway there, and on the way back to the mill, insisted on Shaun meeting Henrietta. She didn't seem all that impressed with him, but Shaun complimented her size and coloring anyway. He did not coo at her, no matter what anyone said.

Rebecca joined them a little later with the blacksmith shop's wagon, pulled by her grandfather's mule. He could see various metal pieces piled up in the rear, and sighed, because he didn't think he'd manage to lift a single one of them, and he resented Rebecca for roping him into this event just to be humiliated by the both of them.

Or, the three of them, actually, because Clay joined them not long after, in heavy work overalls, sleeves already rolled up to his shoulders.

He should have known better than to think ill of Rebecca, honestly; she didn't have him or Clay do more than hold ropes or spot for her and Desmond, who had to climb up on ladders to set everything in place. It took hours, but it was almost fun. They took a quick break for a lunch of delicious cold sandwiches that Clay had brought with him, and eventually, they levered the wheel into place with a setup that was honestly ingenious, and everything was finally secured just before dinner, the wheel turning just as it should.

Desmond whipped his shirt off and ducked into the river to cool off, and Shaun desperately wanted to cool himself off because even though it had been a hot day and hard work, it was far more than the exertion that left him sweating and dry-mouthed. Clay bumped his shoulder and smirked at him, and Shaun sighed because _of course_ he'd be obvious about this - to his friends, at least. Desmond, who emerged from the river dripping wet and whipped at Rebecca with his soaked shirt, seemed not to notice at all.

Shaun did eventually kick his shoes off and rolled up his jeans to wade in until the water was up to his knees, and got caught in a splash fight between Desmond and Rebecca that even Clay joined. They dried off on the bank as the sun set, the mill clicking away nearby, and Desmond invited them for dinner. He had been marinating steaks all day, and the four of them crowded around his dinner table in mismatched chairs. And though the food was simple, it was delicious.

Shaun went home sore, but felt strangely fulfilled. He knew that if he hadn't shown up today, Rebecca would have only given him a little shit for it, but nothing else would come of it. And yet, he couldn't help but feel a pang of fear at the thought of not having had a day like this, with his friends.

What stuck with him a little more was how bare Desmond's home was; though he hadn't seen the bedroom, the living and dining area had been sparse - Desmond had clearly spent most of his time on the exterior of his farm. Shaun resolved to get him a picture of some kind to hang on his wall, or something to decorate with.

He wasn't sure what Desmond might like, but maybe he'd see if he could find some old photos of Joseph or the farm in the records. That'd be nice, he thought.

Two weeks later, Desmond brought him an egg. A single egg. "I've only got the one chicken, but she's finally laying regularly, so I wanted to bring this to you, kind of as a thank you," he said, and Shaun struggled to keep his face from doing anything weird; he wasn't even sure he could name the complicated swell of fondness, and surprise and, and other things that the gift brought.

He did let himself smile, though, because he couldn't really prevent it anyway. "Thank you," he said. "That's really thoughtful of you. Give Henrietta my thanks, as well," he said, and tried not to bask too hard in the laugh that earned him.

"Sure thing," Desmond promised, and headed back out with the smile still on his face.

~

The Cow Festival was one Shaun always made an appearance at, because he loved looking at and petting the big, gentle animals, and also because Clay was the judge for this particular festival; while it was as good an excuse to show up as any, it was the best one because it was even true.

He usually spent his time going from animal to animal, admiring their build or coat, and enjoyed the soft jingle of bells and the moos that occasionally drifted over the festival space. This festival didn't draw as many people as the harvest festivals, perhaps because there was no meal at the end of it, but Shaun enjoyed it all the more for the lack of noise and crowds. Rebecca usually showed up to this one as well, but Lucy regularly avoided the cow festival; instead she generally chose to attend the Fluffy Festival, instead, when the sheep and alpaca are judged. Desmond joined them this year, as an attendee, of course, since he didn't have any cows to enter.

"Yet," he said, when someone pointed it out, and Shaun perked up at that. "Did you finish fixing the barn?" he asked, but Desmond shook his head.

"Not yet, but I've made some progress. I think I'll have it done before fall, though," he said, and Shaun nodded. He had no doubt believing Desmond could manage it, and half-wondered if he'd need help like he had with the mill, though that didn't seem likely.

"You should save some of the land to just grow feed grass," he said, instead of musing on his favorite part of that day, when they'd finished working. "It's hardy and dries well and will grow almost year round - it'd save you a bundle on feed. When you're ready, come back to the library and take some notes," he said, and Desmond laughed.

"Of course," he said, but despite the smile, he sounded serious in a way that made something in Shaun want to sit up straight. Before he could think about it too much, though, one of the entrants brought in a calf and Rebecca tugged them both to go take a look, not that it took much coaxing at all. Shaun couldn't deny he absolutely cooed over the adorable calf and her cute face, but so was everyone else, so at least he couldn't be singled out for it.

They had a good afternoon, and caught dinner from one of the fried food stalls before the festival ended, and Shaun went home with the nagging feeling that something important had happened and he'd missed it.

~

Summer passed quickly for Shaun - he regularly looked forward to Desmond's visits, and although Desmond hadn't requested any new books for a while, he still stopped by to chat a few times a week. Shaun finally got a financial statement from Netcorp about the cost of setting up the infrastructure for internet access, and Desmond patiently listened to him rant about the exorbitant fees, which the town simply couldn't afford to pay for.

At least, not all at once. Shaun had spent some time drafting a funding plan that would allow them to pay it off in ten years, but the company did not offer financing at all. It'd be much harder to pitch a funding plan if they had to fund for 10 years and then get the service - especially since the service was supposed to help bring in extra income, not drain it!

Desmond always sat patiently through his raving, and each time said he had no doubt they could figure something out. 

Before he realized it, the Fireworks festival was only a few days away. It was a family festival, but it was also a way that couples debuted their relationship if it had gotten serious. He thought about asking Desmond, but the assumptions people would make if Desmond so much as said "Shaun invited me", well, it was terrifying to contemplate having to try to explain all of that. Either he said nothing and maybe some assumptions were made that made things awkward down the line, or he over-explained a simple invite to a friend.

Complicating matters further, he'd recently learned that Lucy fancied Desmond as well; she'd said that Desmond was visiting her multiple times a week even though he didn't need any shopping, and that he'd helped her once or twice with hauling some product from the truck to the back. He'd never been in a situation like this before; he liked Desmond - a lot, actually, perhaps even to the point of bordering on a crush - but they hadn't known each other all that long, really, and he had no real indication that Desmond thought of him as anything other than a friend.

In the end, he did manage a good workaround where he didn't actually ask Desmond to attend the festival with him. He did ask if Desmond was going, and mentioned that their friends always went as a group, that they always secured a good spot on the beach (though to be fair, most spots on the beach were good spots), and all brought snacks or drinks and occasionally a frisbee or card games to play. Desmond agreed to meet them at the beach without Shaun actually _asking_ , and thus the whole problem Shaun knew he'd overthought was solved.

The day of the festival dawned bright and clear, perfect weather forecast for the evening show.

The morning itself felt slow, but at noon, Shaun changed into his swimwear and covered himself in sunscreen and hauled his cooler full of juice and beer toward the beach. He ran into Lucy on the way, as they usually did; she carried the blanket and huge beach umbrella, and when they arrived, Shaun saw that Rebecca was already at the beach, running races with a few of the kids in the sand.

They set up in their usual spot, and Shaun spent the next two hours reading - he wasn't much for running around, especially in the heat, and it was still too bright to wander out from under the umbrella anyway. When it cooled down a bit, he did join in a game of frisbee. Desmond showed up at that point with a cooler of his own, and pulled off his shirt and joined them right away. Shaun did at least try to be discreet about watching Desmond, because while Desmond had definitely been fit when he first moved in, he'd been working hard, and he'd definitely packed on more muscle. At least he wasn't alone - Lucy even made sure to compliment him on his tan with a hand squeezing the muscle of his arm (there were no tan lines on his arms at all, Shaun realized, his skin an even tone all over, indicating he went shirtless more often than not when working), and Desmond, well, Shaun couldn't tell, was he flirting back? He smiled and complimented Lucy in return. Shaun knew he'd overanalyze this to death and drive himself to stress, so he decided to ignore all of it, or at least as much as he could, and just enjoy the festival. 

When they got tired of throwing the frisbee around, they all ducked into the water to cool off and relax - for a bit, anyway, before they were splashing each other like children and starting up games of chicken, which Shaun had to decline because he didn't want to carry anyone on his shoulders, and the thought of having to grip Desmond tight with his thighs to keep from falling after Desmond had offered was dangerously distracting, so he begged off and went to dry off and doze underneath the umbrella after renewing his sunscreen. Even with the growing crowds, the muted roar of dozens of conversations and the sharp laughter of all the children both in and out of the water, Shaun managed a steady doze, but yelped awake when Rebecca held a cold beer against his shoulder.

The sun had set somehow, and they had just enough time to eat by the time the fireworks should start. By the time they were all in place, Desmond had passed out watermelon slices from melons he'd grown on his farm, Clay had shared more of his delicious cold sandwiches and Rebecca had doled out the mini cakes she'd made, so they all had a plate. Dinner was loud and messy, and delicious - by the time Shaun finished his meal, he was pleasantly tipsy. Everything had been so good, even Desmond's watermelons, though he noted they were a bit on the small side. Maybe they were harvested a little early, but they were juicy and sweet enough, so he certainly wasn't going to complain.

They settled in for the show once everything had been packed up; the blanket was large enough for all of them, but somehow, Desmond had ended up right next to Shaun, close enough for Shaun to feel the warmth emanating from his skin as the breeze off the ocean cooled down.

There were speakers set up at the far side of the beach, and although their group couldn't hear them clearly, they could hear the hush of the crowd as the instructions for the festival were read off. Shaun murmured the rules to Desmond since they couldn't be heard clearly, Desmond leaned even closer to hear.

And then he leaned back a bit, but not as far as he had been, Shaun thought. Why was he thinking so hard about this? Even when the fireworks started, the booms so loud he could feel them in his chest, he was hyper aware of Desmond next to him. He didn't dare glance over, and instead let himself just enjoy the slight dizziness from the beer he'd had and enjoy the show. It wasn't much different from any year before, but it _felt_ different that year.

After the show, everyone packed up their stuff, and Desmond joined him and Lucy on their way back home - Lucy's was on the way first, but Desmond walked him all the way home, too, and thanked Shaun for inviting him, that he'd had a good time.

"Me too," Shaun murmured, and paused because things felt unfinished at that. Like a heaviness in the air, but after only a few heartbeats, Desmond laughed softly.

"You really are out of it, huh? Didn't take you for a lightweight," he said, and Shaun made a face because he really wasn’t, but that only made Desmond laugh a little harder.

"Drink some water before you go to bed," he said, and Shaun waved him off. Desmond was still laughing when Shaun shut the door, and if that sound followed Shaun into his dreams, well, it wasn't like anyone else would know.

~

The next day, Shaun gathered some books on fertilizer for Desmond. He hoped it wasn't received the wrong way, and it wasn't like he was an expert, but he'd picked up a thing or two about farming after living here for as long as he had. There was no way the soil of the farm hadn't been affected by the years left untended, and the melons had been on the small side - he thought he had a good handle on how Desmond would react, and as he thought, Desmond actually seemed grateful, pleased even, that Shaun had done this for him.

Shaun tried not to look too hard into that. "I'm afraid this won't help with this season's festival, but you should have time to set up at least a few plots before you plant any fall crops," he said, and Desmond apparently agreed, if his fervor in taking notes was any indication.

The Summer Harvest Festival was only a week after the Fireworks Festival, and Shaun found himself locking up the library a little bit earlier than usual. He ended up chatting with Rebecca's grandfather for a bit before Rebecca herself arrived, and Desmond arrived with a small handcart full of produce. Some, Shaun knew, would be given straight to the kitchens, but he couldn't help the zing of anticipation at seeing Desmond, who'd caught his eye and waved as he made his way to the organization area.

Rebecca raised her eyebrow at him and he scowled at her. "So you-" she began, but Shaun just barked out a "No!" and she laughed. They both knew he wouldn't talk about it, but they also knew she wouldn't really push, either. He was grateful, because Lucy and then Clay joined them not long after, and he really did not want to try and figure that whole situation out at all.

Just like the Spring Harvest Festival, Desmond joined them for a tour of the fairgrounds and a breakfast, then headed back to the staging area when it was time for judging. He came in second with corn so large and kernels so plump Shaun knew they just had to be delicious, and just like last time, he looked to Shaun first when the results were announced. Shaun couldn't help but grin back as he cheered and clapped; the noise for Desmond this time around was even louder than last season, and Desmond seemed a little overwhelmed but beamed back at them in return.

He received a lot of attention afterwards; tons of people wanted to congratulate him for his placement and chat about how proud his grandfather would have been. People were still approaching him during dinner, when he'd gotten up to get seconds. He had invites to every table, but he still came back to sit with them, right next to Shaun (and, he couldn’t help but notice, to Lucy), where he stayed until they called it a night, and he walked with Shaun and Lucy back home.

It had been a good meal, and a good night, but Shaun still felt something solid and uncomfortable in his gut, knowledge that he'd have to do something about this situation sooner rather than later.

~

Fall brought with it the signature colors of autumn and cooler breezes. Shaun particularly loved the look of fall, the deep reds and oranges of the leaves littering the streets and pathways of the town; he spent more of his breaks in the park than ever, when the weather allowed.

Desmond came in less often, though. He usually made a visit on Thursday afternoons, and Shaun could tell he'd been busy. He looked tired, and said he'd planted every square inch of cleared land, because he was trying to save up for his first cow. He'd started grains early enough that he should get a good yield to last her through the winter, certainly enough to offset costs if he did have to purchase any. The milk she made would bring income during the cold months he couldn't grow anything since he lacked any kind of greenhouse. Shaun did his best to enjoy the time he got with Desmond, and a part of him couldn't help but wonder if he could manufacture some kind of excuse to visit again. 

Every year, a few weeks into the fall season, the town held a concert in the church. Shaun didn't know the story behind it - there were no records in the town that he could find, and anyone he'd asked just said they've done this every year for as long as they can remember - but Shaun himself was lined up to play the organ for the concert. Rebecca and Lucy both played the flute, and Clay played the ocarina. There was a choir as well, but they actually got the church to practice in, so for the week leading up to the concert, after getting the sheet music, Shaun, Lucy, Clay, and Rebecca took turns practicing in a group at each other's houses. Shaun brought the ancient keyboard the church kept in storage for exactly this purpose, but the evenings are still some of his favorite all year. These are his favorite people, but this year is a little different in that he wished Desmond were here too, somehow.

He did let Desmond know about the concert when he saw him, and Desmond promised that the mayor had already reached out and that Desmond had promised he'd be there. Shaun would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping to show off a little bit.

Only, come the day of the concert, Desmond wasn't in or behind the pews of the church. He was setting up near Clay, guitar in hand. He carried it like he was used to it, and Shaun could tell that not only that it was an older model, it had been kept well-maintained. He didn't have time to talk with Desmond before they performed though; the townsfolk were packed into the large church, the pews full of the elders and everyone else stood behind or beside the pews. Some even sat in the aisle.

Shaun faced away from everyone else - the organ was of course at the back, and so he didn't even get the privilege of _seeing_ Desmond play, though he could at least hear it. Shaun tried hard not to be impressed, but he knew he was doomed to failure in that regard.

Afterward, there were snacks and punch for everyone, and while some folks headed home after the concert, many stayed to mingle. Desmond was talking to some of the choir members when he caught Shaun's eye and motioned him over, and Shaun found himself pulled into an interesting conversation about the music and suggestions for next year's performance.

When it was just the two of them, he glanced over at Desmond. "I never knew you could play guitar," he said, and Desmond laughed.

"I haven't had much time to do it this year," he admitted. "I forgot how much I liked it. I spent some time in the evenings playing on the porch this past week - the girls didn't seem to mind," he said, and Shaun laughed, because he always did every time Desmond referred to his chickens as 'the girls' or 'the ladies'.

"Well, you're pretty good," he said. "I think we could do with a bit of percussion, but the only one who might be interested is Rebecca, and I fear she'd be too zealous," he said, and tried not to show how pleased Desmond's answering grin made him.

Desmond seemed like he was going to say something else, but Rebecca joined them and clapped Shaun hard in the shoulder. "Don't think I didn't hear you," she said, and Shaun coughed and pulled away from her with an exaggerated scowl, which earned her delighted laughter. "He's not wrong, though, I mean, I hammer on things all day, I'm just afraid I'll accidentally break something!"

Shaun wandered the room afterward, and spent time chatting with a few others, but the evening ended with the five of them in a group near the wall, each trying to suggest the most inappropriate suggestions for next year's concert, and laughing loud enough to get glances from others still in the room. He and Lucy shared much of the same walk back to their homes, and Desmond came with, since his farm was on the opposite side of town anyway and no route was more out of the way than others.

It was nice, and if Shaun maybe enjoyed the bit when it was just the two of them the most, well, no one had to know.

~

A couple of weeks later, about halfway through the season, Desmond asked him to come to the farm to meet his new cow. Shaun hadn't yet come up with a reasonable excuse to visit himself, so he was eager to agree when Desmond visited him at the library just before he closed for the day to invite him over.

Shaun bought dinner for the two of them on the way since it was so late, after Desmond mentioned he hadn't actually eaten yet. He'd gotten a mature cow, still young enough to birth a few calves, if he decided he wanted to, and kept the name she'd been given, Betty. She looked healthy enough to Shaun's eye, with a sweet face and endearing eyes.

"Actually, there was something else I wanted to show you," Desmond said after a moment, and led him to one of the feed boxes in the corner, where a blanket was folded up and over one of the sides of the box. Inside was a tiny orange kitten, small enough to fit easily in Shaun's hands, ambling about and pawing at the blanket when he came around to it again.

Shaun couldn't help the gasp that he let out, or the immediate movement of his arms reaching out to pick up the baby before he stopped himself.

Desmond laughed. "It's alright, you can pick him up," he said. "I've already taken him to Clay for a checkup," he said. "He's just over two months old, or thereabouts - his mother was probably feral, and had him here in the dry barn. I waited to see if she made an appearance, but it looks like she hasn't come back for him, and I wasn't able to see any other kittens, either. So, it looks like I'll get that mouser after all."

Shaun had the wriggly little baby in his arms the moment Desmond said he could, and the kitten mewled a little in protest, but settled down after a moment of Shaun rubbing his fuzzy little ears, under his chin and down along his spine. After a few moments, a loud purr built up and Shaun knew he must look ridiculous, and although he kind of didn't want to look ridiculous around Desmond, who didn't love a kitten?

He glanced up to the other man, but there was no trace of mockery in his fond expression at all. Shaun smiled at him briefly before turning his attention to the little fuzzball settling down in his arms. "He's so small," he said, after a moment, an inane, obvious comment, but Shaun couldn't help being a little flustered. He felt too exposed, but Desmond just made an affirmative sound.

"He'll live with me in the house through winter," he promised. "I've already got some food and a little bed, but I'm kind of hoping he'll sleep in mine," he admitted, and Shaun refused to think about that at all, just made a thoughtful noise in return and kept his eyes solidly on the purring form he held.

"I've still got some chores to take care of, but if you'd like to stay here for a little bit, I'll get that dinner ready for us?" Desmond offered, and Shaun nodded.

"That'd... that'd be very nice, thank you, Desmond," he said, but still didn't look up at the man yet.

Desmond only chuckled, and made his way to the door. "I'll let you know when I'm done," he said, and left the barn. Shaun ended up sitting down on the ground for a bit while the kitten dozed in his lap for a bit, Betty placidly chewing away, the soft tinkle of her bell sounding occasionally as she moved. Eventually the kitten wanted to explore a bit more, and after letting him crawl up and down his arms and over his shoulders, he eventually played with him by dragging a bit of straw around for the little guy to bat and chase.

It felt like it had hardly been half an hour before Desmond came in - he looked like he'd washed up, hair a little damp, and he grinned widely when he saw Shaun. "C'mon, let's go to the house," he said, and Shaun picked the little kitten up to carry him to the house. The kitten looked around and squirmed in Shaun's arms on the way, but when he got inside, the kitten squirmed like he wanted to jump out of Shaun's grasp so he settled him on the ground instead. The fuzzball went straight for the food bowl, which had fresh wet food. He ate like he was never going to see food again, and Shaun couldn't help but laugh.

Eventually, he settled on the stool by the counter to chat with Desmond while he plated the pasta Shaun had picked up on the way over. Shaun had to talk Desmond out of walking him back home, because after eating, Desmond honestly looked tired, and he'd worked a hell of a lot harder than Shaun had.

On his walk home, Shaun realized he had a great excuse to visit now without being extremely obvious, and made a plan. He'd wait a few days, of course, so he didn't seem too obvious, but a big part of him just couldn't wait until he could go back, and he didn’t even bother arguing that it wasn't even half because he wanted to see the kitten.

~

Shaun managed a whole three days before he made his way over to Desmond's farm again on Wednesday afternoon, before Desmond's usual Thursday visit. Part of him hoped Desmond would still come by on his regular day even though Shaun was visiting today, but he supposed he'd see how it went.

He'd stopped by Clay's to pick up some cat toys and treats for the kitten, though he knew he didn't really need any more justification to visit than the kitten itself.

When he arrived, he spotted Desmond out in his field. He was shirtless, and apparently working on one of the last huge rocks that took up space in the field, just lifting and swinging his hammer over and over. Shaun just sort of stopped for a moment to stare, because a shirtless Desmond wasn't something he got to see often, and the late afternoon sun was outlining all those gleaming muscles in liquid gold.

He didn't even know how long he was stood there staring when Desmond paused to wipe sweat off his face with the rag in his back pocket and spotted Shaun. He could only hope his mouth had been closed, but Desmond apparently hadn't seen anything amiss because he grinned widely and waved at Shaun before heading over.

"Hey, Shaun!" He called when he was close enough. "What brings you here?"

"I uh, I'm here to visit the kitten. I noticed there weren't any toys, and so I thought I'd bring some. And treats!" he added; he knew he sounded a bit too desperate, but being this close to Desmond and all his tanned skin was kind of doing things to him. He felt like he couldn't focus on things like words at just that moment.

Desmond just smiled back at him. "Oh, that's thoughtful of you," he said. "I'd thought about it, but hadn't found the time yet. I've given him a few feathers from the ladies tied to a string and he seemed to like that well enough - he keeps destroying them within like ten minutes," he added. "But I'm sure he'd be happy to see you even without toys, come on," he said, and led Shaun to the house.

The kitten bounded over to them when the door opened, and although he tried to wiggle around them to go outside, Desmond just scooped him up easily and shut the door behind them. "I don't want him outside where I can't keep an eye on him," he said, and Shaun shook his head because he hadn't been judging at all.

"Believe me, I understand. He's so small, I'd be afraid to lose him in the grass - it's growing really well, it seems," he said; it was hard not to notice the almost knee-high grass just near where Desmond was working.

"Yeah, I'm glad for it, I think I'll have just enough to get through winter and a bit of spring at this rate. That'll really help," he said, as he set the kitten back on the ground.

Shaun decided to dump what he'd brought on the dining table so he could start to remove the labels and toss the packaging. "I might have gone a bit overboard," he murmured, when he realized just how many things he'd ended up grabbing. There were string toys and little balls and springs and tube treats that Clay said cats went wild over.

Desmond laughed. "Really, I appreciate it," he said. "You keep bringing him stuff, he might like you more than me."

Shaun just laughed in reply, and although he'd never want to steal the affections of Desmond's cat, he did hope to be able to visit often enough for the possibility to exist. He grabbed the string toy, more of a brightly-colored braided rope, really, and the kitten was immediately engaged. After a moment of the two of them watching, Shaun spoke up. "Have you named him?" He asked, and Desmond shook his head.

"No," he admitted. "I thought about asking you when I stopped by tomorrow. Got any books on cat names?" he asked, and Shaun laughed.

"I don't believe I do, but I'm sure I could order one," he offered, and Desmond chuckled in return.

"Do you have any ideas?" he asked and Shaun paused, then frowned.

"Do you know, I've thought about having a cat, but I hadn't ever really thought much on what I'd name them. I suppose I like the idea of a ridiculously stuffy name, like Reginald or Nigel," he murmured, and smiled a bit, because the frantic chasing and jumping the orange fuzzball was currently engaged in was not activity that suited a Reginald.

Desmond laughed at that. "I've never really had a pet either, before. I know some famous dog names, but are there famous cats?" he asked.

"You mean besides Felix or Tom?" he asked, and Desmond looked embarrassed for a moment before he shook his head.

"Nah, I don't think he's a Felix or Tom," he said. "Honestly, I've already kind of gotten used to calling him Baby," he said, and Shaun couldn't help but laugh a little at that because it was so adorable.

"Baby, hmm?" he asked, and Desmond ducked his head in response. Shaun could almost swear he was blushing a little bit.

"Yeah," he admitted, and glanced up at Shaun with such a fond, happy expression that Shaun felt himself melt a little.

Shaun cleared his throat, and the moment was broken by the kitten, Baby, climbing up his trousers, making Shaun wince a little at his little claws.

"I’m sorry, I should have warned you," he said, but Shaun held up his hand since Baby was already settling into his lap, kneading a bit and purring loudly.

"I should have anticipated it; he is a kitten after all, and there's no way he'd be declawed," he said. "What say we see if Baby likes the treats?" he asked, and Desmond agreed.

Soon, Baby was licking madly at the plastic, and they were both laughing at how hard he was trying to get closer to the treat, even though he was draped all over the hand holding the tube. By the time it was finished, Baby was ready to sleep and Desmond ended up picking him up and settling him on the bed.

Shaun didn't stay for dinner that night, but before he left, Desmond promised to visit the library tomorrow per his regular schedule.

"Don't want to mess up my routine," he said, with a wry grin and Shaun honestly replied that he looked forward to the visit.

After that, Shaun started to visit the farm at least once a week himself, but occasionally visited more often if he could. Sometimes he brought new treats for Baby, but more often than not, he stayed for a little bit to play with the kitten and chat with Desmond while he took a short break - Desmond was busier than ever, hoping to clear the field entirely before winter started, but always seemed to make some time to chat with Shaun.

The Fluffy Festival came around, and although Desmond couldn't enter as he didn't have any sheep or alpaca, he did take a half day to come see the animals and declare he wanted at least one sheep after meeting a few and watching Clay judge the various animals and explain what was good and what was not. Shaun knew by now that if Desmond wanted it, he'd find a way to make it happen.

The Fall Harvest Festival was, like all of the others, at the end of the season, and the air was so crisp it was obvious winter was just around the corner. Desmond entered eggplants so large and glossy that Shaun's mouth all but watered when he saw them. Desmond won first place, and Shaun whooped with joy, loud enough even Rebecca turned to stare at him before shouting her own support for Desmond's win. He could hear the entire town cheering for Desmond, a thunderous noise that was both overwhelming and uplifting at the same time.

Desmond was all but beaming when he received his prize, and the expression stayed all throughout the afternoon and through the meal in the evening. Shaun made a point to get in line early to grab some of Desmond's award-winning eggplants and boast about how tasty they were. Even Lucy and Rebecca joined in, and eventually others in the town made a point of stopping by to tell Desmond how well he'd done, and how proud they were, making Desmond blush a bit each time.

Shaun didn’t even try to fight how charmed he was by this.

It was a wonderful evening; Shaun had always enjoyed the harvest meal after the judging, but couldn't shake how right it felt, to spend the evening with Desmond right beside him. It was hard not to reflect how much more alive he'd felt since this former city boy walked into his library one afternoon, and how proud he was of how far Desmond had come in such a short time.

He'd never met anyone like Desmond, and he wanted more of this, more evenings playing with a rapidly-growing kitten, more festivals with Desmond at his side, more Desmond. This time, he glanced over to Desmond, whose grin was so wide and welcoming Shaun couldn't help but echo it, and almost dared to hope that he would find the courage to say something soon.

~

Winter blew in quickly, as it always seemed to despite all the warning signs, but winter always made everything slow down once it had settled in properly. Perhaps a great deal of that could be attributed to the thick snow that lay on the ground for nearly the entire season, but even if it weren't for that, the cold would probably be enough to ensure that anyway. Desmond himself was less busy overall - he didn't have a greenhouse in which to grow crops in the winter, and it wasn't like his animals required a lot of time each day.

He ended up joining them for their lunches now - all of them had time for long lunches in winter, and all five of them crowded around a table in the tavern each weekday around noon. Shaun still visited the farm at least once a week, ostensibly to visit Baby, but since Desmond wasn't busy, he was usually around for Shaun's entire visit. Occasionally, Shaun brought dinner, or Desmond made something for the two of them. Shaun enjoyed these evenings a great deal.

Desmond found out about the old gem mine in the middle of the lake, and when the lake froze over, he decided to give it a shot and see if he could find anything worthwhile.

Shaun wondered if it was dangerous, but it was Rebecca who spoke up that Desmond had plenty of mine experience - he'd apparently managed to not only fully repair his tools but get upgraded ones forged from the rather good ores he'd found deeper in the mine.

One afternoon, Desmond came into the library with a rough geode that had looked unremarkable from the outside until Desmond opened it to show off the beautiful display of blue and purple crystals inside. Shaun didn't think he'd mentioned his interest in rocks, but Desmond didn't seem surprised at his excitement.

"This is lovely, you found this in the mine?" he asked, and Desmond nodded.

"Yeah - it looks like the surface areas don't have any extremely rare or valuable gems, but, well, I thought this one was pretty," he said.

"It is," Shaun murmured. When he went to hand it back, Desmond laughed.

"It's for you," he said, and Shaun looked down at it and then back up to Desmond.

"How did you know?" he asked, and Desmond laughed, and glanced around the library, nodding at the two biggest rocks on display, and Shaun smiled a little to himself. "Good guess that those were mine," he said, and Desmond grinned.

"I wasn't sure if those were yours or the library's, but I figured that if I was wrong, this could be displayed too, if those weren't yours," he said, and Shaun nodded.

"I think I will display it," he said. "It'd be good to have a local sample, for one," he said, setting the geode down on his desk with care. He'd have to find a display stand for it, but he had a few in his room that he thought might do.

"Well, I wouldn't mind bringing more," Desmond said, and Shaun felt both a greedy impulse to ask for more beautiful rocks and the mortification of someone unused to asking for anything for themselves.

"I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble," he said instead.

"I go there every day anyway," he said. "Been making some decent money on the smaller raw gems I bring up, so I'm hoping to make my way deeper for bigger or better ones," he said. "How big's your collection anyway? Is this all of it?"

Shaun chuckled a little. "No, this isn't all of it. It's modest, I suppose; I've got a case for my favorites and the rest are on shelves or packed away," he said. "As far as I knew, the gem mine was inaccessible - no one here has the money or interest to fund a bridge, and I'm not sure anyone else is quite mad enough to walk to it on the natural ice. You are being safe, aren't you?" he asked, and Desmond grinned.

"I am," he promised. "You could come with me one day," he said, and Shaun immediately shook his head.

"No, no thank you, I'll keep my feet on the ground, thank you very much," he said, and Desmond chuckled again. “Maybe if we get a bridge built,” he added, because he really would love to see the gem mine for himself one day.

But Desmond got that serious look he sometimes did, and nodded. "Deal," he said, and although Shaun wanted to argue that Desmond shouldn’t even think about trying to fund that, he didn’t say anything. Eventually turned the conversation to Baby, and then Desmond left after a little bit to go make dinner for the night.

Every visit after that, he almost always brought a gift for Shaun in the form of a rock or rough gem. Some of the rocks he'd even tumbled - he said their conversation had made him curious, and Shaun realized he couldn't ignore his feelings for Desmond any longer. How could he? Desmond was a sweet, gentle man who brought him rocks and shared his kitten, and made time for him, but... Desmond was like that with everyone, wasn't he?

Shaun had often seen him stopping to talk with anyone on the street, even when he was busy. He'd seen Desmond dropping off eggs for old Sadie just last week, whose daughter was one of the choir girls they'd talked to during the concert. Rebecca had said Desmond had gifted her loads of ore so she could practice without having to use and replace her grandfather's stock. Desmond had let Clay fertilize eggs from his chicken to help replenish his stock, and regularly gifted Lucy some of his cow's milk once she was producing regularly.

And here Shaun was, in love with a man who'd just been friendly and kind, and was so with everyone he met. If only he had any indication Desmond felt more than that. He knew that Lucy had a crush on Desmond, too, which made him feel bad for Clay; he knew Clay had been interested in Lucy for a long time, though he'd never said anything as far as Shaun knew, Shaun at least had an inkling as to why he hadn’t.

Shaun didn’t really want to mope, but he realized that the Moonlight Night event was soon. This event was explicitly for lovers, or courting couples. He just had to ask Desmond, and, well, if Desmond said no, well, he'd have his answer, wouldn't he?

It took him some time to finally work up the courage to ask. He'd delayed until just two days prior, actually, waited until his own weekly visit to the farm, after dinner, with Baby purring on his lap.

"The Moonlight Night festival is soon," he said, glancing over at Desmond. He lost a little courage so instead of asking Desmond to join him, he instead asked, "Did you have plans for the evening?"

Desmond smiled at him, and nodded. "Lucy asked me," he said. "I said yes, of course - it sounds like it'll be a nice night," he murmured, and Shaun fought hard not to react to that. His chest did feel tight but he forced himself to nod and smile, though he wouldn't swear to how 'nice' it looked.

"I, I hope you have a nice time," he said, and left it at that. He left not too long after, thankful that he'd have some time before Desmond's next visit to the library - plenty of time to get used to the idea of Desmond and Lucy. More than enough, really.

He was miserable the next day, and for the first time, was grateful Desmond had kept to his schedule of visiting on Thursdays. Anyone could participate in the Moonlight Night alone without any kind of stigma, and Shaun usually did, because out on the mountainside with the full moon rising, it made him feel connected to the land and everyone around him, even if he couldn't see or hear them in the alcoves created for the occasion. He never knew what the future held, but he hoped to share that feeling with someone someday - it was supposed to be a very special evening when shared with a lover.

But he didn't want to chance running across the two of them cuddling in an alcove and sharing moon dumplings, so for the first time since he moved to Feather Valley, he spent the evening in bed, though he certainly slept poorly enough he might as well have stayed up the whole night anyway.

In the morning, he checked the mailbox, as he always did, and instead of any letters or book drop offs, a crystal lay on a small cloth. The crystal was shaped like a snowflake, a clear light-blue gem with six points. It was beautiful, and Shaun spent a moment just staring at it in his hand - there was only one person who could have left this for him, but the real question was why?

Why would Desmond gift him something so unique and lovely after spending the night with Lucy?

He wanted answers, but wanted to give himself time first, so he set the crystal on his desk instead, and figured he'd have enough time by the time Desmond visited on Thursday.

He saw Lucy first, of course, because she ran the shop and he wasn't going to travel an extra ten miles to the next town in winter to avoid an awkward conversation, but even so, he was surprised that she volunteered that the night didn't go as she hoped.

He wasn't sure how to respond, but she smiled a little at him when he didn't immediately ask for details. "It turns out he didn't realize the evening wasn't for people who are friends," she offered, and Shaun winced, because he'd already thought Desmond had known the evening was for lovers, as well.

"I'm... sorry," he said after a moment, because he was. Lucy had been a good friend to him since he arrived, he wouldn't wish her any heartbreak at all.

Her smile turned bittersweet, and she nodded. "I should have known, if I'm being honest," she said, and Shaun frowned. "Anyways, we didn't stay the full night. Once he realized, he was really nice about it, but... well. I think maybe he'd have preferred to spend the evening with someone else."

She didn't say anything more, but she also didn't say anything about Shaun's lack of response as he tried to grapple with the implications. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but... even though she didn't confirm anything, Shaun knew that he couldn't go on as he had; even if Lucy wasn’t referring to him, he couldn't keep his feelings to himself any longer.

He just needed something _good_ , something to show Desmond how he felt. He kept the snowflake crystal on his personal desk, and although Desmond hadn't said anything about it when he finally visited, things felt a little different somehow. Shaun couldn't discount that it might only be in his head, though, so he didn't say anything yet, either. He wanted to show Desmond proof of his feelings, if he could just figure out how.

Near the end of winter was Christmas, of course, and Shaun had hoped to find something grand to give him then. Something perfect. And one day, while searching through the library, he found the box he'd been looking for, the one he'd been given just after Joseph had passed, donated per his will. Shaun had always meant to go through it, but had misplaced it for an embarrassingly long time. He wasn't sure what he'd find, but to his delight, it contained the memoirs of Joseph Miles, Desmond's grandfather, along with photos of the man himself, the farm, and even a young Desmond beaming in one photo, clearly missing one of his front teeth.

The writing started just after he'd married his wife, apparently, and finished just a little bit after Desmond's visits started. Shaun knew he had to give this to Desmond, and well, Christmas was just around the corner.

He asked if Desmond had plans for that evening, and after hearing that he didn't, Shaun asked if he could come over for dinner, and asked what Desmond needed for a meal.

So on Christmas day, he brought chicken legs and seasonings he'd purchased at the store, Joseph's book and framed photos tucked securely inside his coat. Dinner was nice; it was not much different from their usual dinners, honestly. Baby slept by their feet after he'd gotten his fill of the scraps of meat he'd been given by the two of them, and afterward, Shaun admitted he had a gift for Desmond.

He'd only wrapped the book and framed photos loosely with newspaper, so it wasn't much effort for Desmond, and Shaun could tell the moment Desmond realized what it was he held, because the moment he did, he went still and quiet. He was quiet long enough for Shaun to be afraid he'd really fucked up, but when Desmond finally looked up at him, he just looked overwhelmed, like he couldn't tell if he wanted to be happy or sad or both.

And for all that Shaun wanted to confess how he felt that night, he knew he couldn't at that point. Instead, he offered a smile, and described how he found the items and promised to check and see if there was anything else that Joseph had donated.

Desmond looked back down. "I didn't even realize it was Christmas," he said. "I... I'd been working a lot in the mine lately, and I lost track of the date," he said, and Shaun laughed a little but Desmond looked a bit distressed. "I didn't get you anything," he said, morose.

Shaun smiled. "Hey, no worries - my rock collection has almost doubled thanks to you," he said, and Desmond gave him a little smile at that. "Besides, would you really want to follow that up?" he asked, gesturing to the book, and Desmond gave a watery laugh.

"I guess not," he agreed.

"I, I'm sorry, I hadn't expected it to be so emotional for you, but... I do hope it's okay that I gave it to you?"

"No, of course!" Desmond rushed out. "I just... I didn't know he'd done anything like this. I didn't know he had a picture of me, I don't even remember that being taken," he chuckled. "It's, I'm grateful, really," he promised.

"Then I hope you enjoy it - it really should have been yours this whole time anyway. Not much of a gift, right?"

Desmond laughed again, and seemed a little bit lighter. "Thank you, Shaun."

"You have my thanks as well, then," he said, and held his hand up before Desmond could argue. "I'm leaving before this gets mushy. Merry Christmas, Desmond," he said.

To his surprise, Desmond pulled him into a quick hug, and Shaun wasn't at all surprised that Desmond gave good hugs. Or about his own reluctance to let go. "Merry Christmas, Shaun," he murmured, before he finally released Shaun.

While the evening didn't quite go as he hoped, Shaun felt like he was a little bit closer, at least, and fell asleep with a contented smile on his face.

~

The last day of the year was New Year’s Eve, and the town held a fireworks celebration in the evening on the mountainside instead of the beach.

Like the Fireworks Festival, Shaun and his friends set up a couple of blankets on the mountainside for the view, families grouped on their own blankets, their kids running around with sparklers in the open areas between. Desmond chose to sit right next to him, and this time, Lucy wasn’t on his other side, instead sitting between Rebecca and Clay a few feet below them. She’d offered him a not-very-discreet thumbs up and Shaun had to fight not to facepalm at her lack of subtlety. 

Thankfully, Desmond hadn’t asked about it, if he’d even noticed. 

The fireworks were lovely, as always, and at the end, when the last firework was announced so everyone could make their new year’s wish, Shaun closed his eyes when he saw the trail of light after the firework was launched, and wished softly for the courage he knew he’d need in the new year. Then he opened his eyes just after the boom of the firework, able to see it bloom in front of them. He glanced over to Desmond, who turned to look at him, and couldn’t tear his eyes away, even though it was considered good luck to watch the last firework fade out - it was supposed to mean your wish would come true. 

Desmond didn’t look away, either, but when Rebecca stood and stretched loudly, the moment was broken. Shaun knew he was blushing and tugged his scarf up a little higher over his face before helping to pick up and fold the blanket. 

The way back home was full of energy and laughter, everyone wishing everyone else a happy new year before they parted ways.

Shaun crawled into bed feeling hopeful; spring was on its way, and a new year meant new opportunities. He just had to be brave enough to grab one.

~

Spring brought with it warmer weather and colorful blossoms, and Desmond was busy again, tilling the field and planting seeds for the season. He'd met his goal last year and had cleared the entire field before winter had set in, but getting everything planted still took almost a full week. He could let his animals out again, and even allowed Betty into the pasture he'd fenced off for her.

Baby was big enough to be allowed outside, now outfitted with a collar, but no bell since his main job was to keep pests off the farm. Desmond said he sometimes slept in the sun with the ladies in the yard, and had brought at least two mice to Desmond's porch within two weeks of being let out during the day.

Shaun decided that he wouldn't wait much longer; Sweetheart's Day fell in early spring, after all, and though Shaun had never before bothered to take notice of the holiday, now it would be a perfect day to make his feelings known. So on the day of, he packed a gift basket with a blanket, chocolates, and other sweets, and made his way to the farm in the early afternoon and asked if Desmond had time for a break.

Desmond said he had time, like he always did when Shaun stopped by, and he helped Shaun spread the blanket by the river, just down from the mill they'd repaired last year.

Shaun was nervous enough that he knew he was too stiff, and it was hard to look directly at Desmond. But he had to go through with this. "Do you know what day it is?" he asked, and Desmond made a soft noise in response. Shaun looked up, and Desmond was grinning softly at him. Shaun looked back at his own hands.

"I do," Desmond answered. "Even if I hadn't glanced at my calendar today, the news mentioned it multiple times as well," he said. He sounded relaxed, and Shaun wondered if Desmond truly was that oblivious.

He frowned a little. "I, look, I came here because I need to let you know that I, I feel more than just friendship for you," he said, a little too quickly. He nudged the basket towards Desmond a bit, more to have something to do than because he was trying to illustrate his point, and continued, "I understand if you don't want to date me because you don't feel the same-"

"Thank the goddess," Desmond breathed out, and Shaun glanced up at him, wondering if he meant that in response to Shaun giving him an out, but Desmond moved closer instead, eyes intent. "I thought I was going crazy, yes, I want to date you, please," he said, and Shaun couldn't help the giddy laugh he let out in response.

"Did you really think there was a chance I didn't want to date you?" He asked, and Shaun felt himself flush a little bit.

"Well, I mean, you, I couldn't tell! You're, you're friendly with everyone!" He said, and Desmond laughed gently in response.

"I'm really not, not like I have been with you," he said, and when Shaun opened his mouth to reply, Desmond raised a brow. "Look, I know that you've already got like twenty arguments lined up to support your really, really wrong belief that I'm not into you or whatever, but I really only have like half an hour I can spare today. I'll gladly listen to you if that's what you want, but personally, I'd really rather kiss you instead."

He looked so earnest despite the smirk on his mouth and Shaun felt his mouth shut. "You're right; we can talk about it later. You may kiss me now," he said, already leaning forward.

Their first kiss was really more a series of kisses, interrupted by smiles and mixed with muffled laughter. They did little more than just kiss that half hour, and when Shaun left, it was with a promise of a real date tomorrow evening, near the waterfall in the forest with food brought from the Tavern.

It was a beautiful night, and the first of many dates. The year flew by, and though the seasons felt full in a way they hadn’t before, they also passed faster than ever before. Desmond always made time for Shaun, but he also worked hard. 

He came first in the Spring Harvest Festival that year. He'd made incredible profits this season, he told Shaun, and said he had an idea of what to do with that income as well as his prize money. Even though he wouldn’t tell Shaun what he wanted it for, Shaun helped Desmond set up a savings fund that he started depositing into weekly.

Summer was hot and dry for the bulk of the season. Early in the season, Desmond brought out his guitar one evening and played for him and Baby and the ladies, singing a few popular songs, and a few of his own creation as well. When night fell, Desmond asked him to stay the night, and for the first time Shaun spent the night in Desmond's bed, Baby curled awkwardly between their legs.

He spent the night more and more after that, and felt like he fit more and more into Desmond's life each time. This year when the Chicken Festival rolled around, Desmond entered the first hen he'd raised from a chick, Chickpea, and came in second. The Fireworks Festival went much like last year, only this time Desmond wasn't just at his side, but leaned against him, holding Shaun's hand.

Just a few days before the Summer Harvest Festival, a heavy storm descended on the town. Desmond's crops were devastated by the storm, and he hadn't been able to enter the Summer Harvest festival, though he did donate some of the surviving crops for the harvest meal. Despite this setback, he'd still done very well during the season as a whole, and kept contributing to his mysterious fund.

Fall brought cooler temperatures, and Desmond got his first sheep and a new calf from Betty. Somehow, despite how busy he always was, Desmond made it look effortless. The farm was thriving in a way Shaun had not long ago thought would take not only years, but a team of people to develop. When he came by in the afternoons, with Betty and her calf Lulu were in the field with Annabel, the sheep, and Baby greeted him with mewls and rubbed on his legs, well. It felt like home. He didn't stay over every night, but he wanted to. He wanted this to be the place he came home to, not the room he kept above the library.

Part of him felt this was too soon, though, so he tried not to dwell on these desires.

At the end of his second fall, Desmond won the first place prize in the Harvest Festival, and put the entire cash prize into his fund.

Winter brought the usual heavy snows, and even more pretty stones from the lake mine, though Desmond said he made good money on the gems he shipped out. For Shaun, he said he offered the interesting ones, usually not worth a lot, but precious for how unique they were. Desmond actually installed shelves in his home for Shaun to keep some of his collection there. Shaun knew the shelves meant more than just that - Desmond was showing Shaun he had room for more of him in his life, in his home, and Shaun felt maybe it wasn't too soon. Maybe he wasn't alone in feeling like this was his home too, in wanting to stay.

For the first time, Shaun shared a Moonlight Night with a partner. And it was everything he hoped it would be. They didn't speak much, actually, but he could see the little fires from other alcoves lower on the mountainside, and the feeling of belonging swelled further when they shared the moon dumplings, feeding each other little bites every now and again. He'd never stayed the whole night before, and there was something really special about the walk back to town in the morning, joined by all the other couples. It felt a little bit like waking up in a way, a renewal, or a promise of some kind he felt deep in his bones but couldn't articulate.

When they talked about it, Desmond agreed he felt the same. "I'm so glad I came here," he said, pressing urgent kisses to Shaun's lips. "I'm so glad I stayed." Shaun was too occupied to answer, but surely Desmond understood his agreement in the kisses he returned.

For Christmas, Desmond looked a little hesitant. "I'm not sure you'll like the gift," he said.

He didn't have a box in his hands, so Shaun was certainly curious. "Well, you won't find out until I know what it is," he pointed out, and Desmond laughed.

"Well, see, you know that fund we set up?" He asked, and Shaun nodded. "Well, it's, um, it's for you. I mean, I'd like it to be used for the plans you'd had," he said. "Regarding the Netcorp project?"

Shaun's eyes widened and Desmond apparently thought that meant he was unhappy. "I know it's not really a gift for _you_ ," he began, but Shaun shook his head.

"No, it's not that, are you, are you serious, Desmond? You've saved up enough for that? I can't ask you to spend your money on that!"

"It's enough," he promised. "I'd used every inch of field I had, and I even put in the prize money for-"

"That was _your_ prize money!"

"I know, but I want to use it for this," he said, and Shaun just stared at him for a moment.

"Desmond, I... it's... that's too much, I can't ask you to single-handedly fund this."

Desmond smiled at him, and took one of his hands. "I won't, if you really don't want me to, but... I do, I really do want to. Like I said, it's not really a gift just for you. It's for everyone, but you know, you'd have to help me get the money where it needs to go."

Shaun just stared at him for a moment. "Desmond, that's... we couldn't ever repay this, not for years," he said, and Desmond laughed, soft and happy.

"It's more like me repaying everyone," he said, and at Shaun's frown, he continued. "When I first started, you all helped me so much. You researched stuff for me all the time, even things I didn't know I'd need. And Rebecca fixed my tools for free - she didn't even charge me to forge my new ones, until I got to the ores she wasn't experienced in handling, and I know her grandpa gave me a discount on his services. Lucy gave me free seeds to get me started, and even helped me source good fertilizer for a good price. When I started shipping, hers was the first store that actually stocked my produce. Clay gave me months' worth of feed for my first animals and their first few checkups free as well. You all helped fix my mill, and Rebecca, Clay and Lucy helped get the last touches of my barn set up. Everyone here has done so much to help me, and I wouldn't be here without all of you. This place... everyone here has become so important to me. I want to, I want to help them out, too," he said, and Shaun himself felt overwhelmed. Maybe this was what Desmond had felt last year, when he'd given Desmond his grandfather's belongings.

"You've really been thinking about this, haven't you?" Shaun asked, and Desmond nodded.

"I have. I want... this is my _home_ ," he said quietly. "I didn't build it alone, though. We built it together, and I want to... I just want to give something back."

"Then, I just... I think I understand," Shaun repied. "Thank you, Desmond. I'll give them a call in the morning. But, in the meantime, I'd really, really like to take you to bed," he said, and Desmond perked up at that.

"I like that idea," he murmured, so they started to clean up for the night.

With spring came more work for Desmond, but just after he'd finally got everything planted and had a bit more free time, it was Sweetheart's Day again, and this year, Desmond is the one that pulled Shaun from the house (he hadn't even bothered going to the library in the morning since it was closed for the holiday) to the blanket spread out on their preferred spot by the river. In the basket were chocolates that they fed to each other, and then Desmond pulled out a blue feather.

Shaun went still, his gaze darting from the feather to Desmond. "Really?" He asked, and Desmond grinned. Neither of them were born here in Feather Valley, but everyone knew what a blue feather meant around here.

"Really," he answered. "Shaun, will you marry me?"

Shaun took the feather from him and set it gently back in the basket before tackling Desmond back to the blanket. "Yes, yes, of course," he murmured, kissing Desmond urgently. It ended up being the first time Shaun ever made love outside, but he enjoyed it so thoroughly he didn't think it would be the last.

They set the date of their wedding in winter, just two weeks ahead of Moonlight Night, and Desmond announced his wedding gift will be the rings he provided for the ceremony. For his gift, Shaun arranged with Clay the delivery of two animals - a Silkie Chicken and a Coffee Cow, because he knew Desmond wanted them but instead of investing in them, he used his money for the laying of internet that had started earlier in the year, though it wouldn't be completed until the following summer.

They'd invited the entire town to their wedding, which was held on Desmond's farm, where they'd built a lovely pavilion next to the river for the event, with the help of their friends. And when he saw the rings, Shaun almost actually cried at his own wedding.

Desmond had fashioned them both rings with crystals cut to look like snowflakes.


End file.
